Fusing old school string band instrumentation with rock and roll exuberance, The Brothers Comatose cement their status as standard bearers of a thriving, innovative West Coast roots movement on their intoxicating new album, Golden Grass. Recorded with co-producers Greg Holden and Tim Bluhm, the collection is as diverse and enthralling as the California landscape itself—at times carefree and breezy, at times wild and rugged—with lush, organic arrangements full of rich vocal harmonies and driving guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and upright bass. While the record marks the group’s first release with newest member Addie Levy, the result is quintessential Brothers Comatose: a warm, joyful reflection on identity and the ties that bind from a band that knows exactly who they are (and exactly where they come from).

Founded by Ben and Alex Morrison in 2008, The Brothers Comatose first emerged from San Francisco with their 2010 debut, Songs From The Stoop, which helped earn dates with the likes of Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Greensky Bluegrass, and Trampled By Turtles. In the decade-and-a-half that followed, the critically acclaimed quintet would go on to release five more full-length LPs, rack up nearly 50 million streams, land festival slots at Outside Lands, High Sierra, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, tour with Lake Street Dive, The Devil Makes Three, and Yonder Mountain String Band, and build up a devoted following thanks to their raucous live shows and relentless schedule.

North Fork Crossing is a new age bluegrass band that resides between the traditional music world with their timeless fiddle tunes and ballads, and the jamgrass community with their intricate improvisation and energetic peaks. With the addition of modern covers and old time country songs, they explore a vast terrain of genres. Their captivating shows are everchanging, leaving you dancing and wondering what they could possibly do next.

The quintet — Cade Slayden (guitar), Ryan Kelly (mandolin), Rabi Phelan (upright bass), Silas Rea (fiddle), and Matt Hickey (banjo) — are drawn to having Bluegrass reach a new generation, priding themselves on their unique sound as the evolution of string band music. They have quickly made their presence known around the US, most notably in the beautiful Gallatin Valley where they are based.

North Fork Crossing has recently released their sophomore album, “Portland Rose” including 12 new studio tracks. It ventures to new territory in the studio and explores the evolution of the band, while featuring a more refined sound. The album has tighter harmonies and more structured songs, while still keeping their signature experimental nature. “This album is a culmination of the sound we have been chasing live, fine tuned by the precision of the recording studio” says Rabi. “Cade’s songwriting has evolved to another level of depth and emotion. The stories harmonize with the instrumentation to create a profound yet accessible world for the listener.” They mix old time and bluegrass, traditional and jamgrass, and ballads and hard-driving banjo for an eclectic album that all string music fans will enjoy.